


Terms of Agreement

by watermelonriddles



Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: F/M, Guns, Inappropriate Behavior, Pre-Canon, Threats of Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-15
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:06:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22263058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watermelonriddles/pseuds/watermelonriddles
Summary: At that, Rio smiles, shaking his head a little. He’s about to say something to Dags when he notices Boomer has slipped out of the office and is talking to a blonde. She’s a lot shorter than him and it’s made worse by the fact that he’s standing so close, he’s towering over her. There’s a look on her face and a tension in her body that says she’s angry and disgusted all at once and Rio can’t really blame her.Boomer is so impossibly close to her that it puts a bad taste in Rio’s mouth. Although she’s staring him right in the eye, her body is slightly angled like she’s ready to bolt. From where he’s stood, Rio vaguely hears her call him a “little dick” and a moment later, Boomer is pointing towards the office.Rio’s not exactly one to get involved when he’s on the job but shit like this... He knows he won’t be able to concentrate if he leaves it. He watches as the two of them head into the office and then turns to Dags. “Why don’t you go get the car?”
Relationships: Annie Marks & Rio
Comments: 10
Kudos: 87





	Terms of Agreement

**Author's Note:**

> I've had so many random ideas for fics focusing on Rio and Annie and this one kept sticking with me so I figured I might as well write it :) This is set sometime before the show and honestly, I did this just for fun, ha.

Rio’s already set to leave and never see the dingy office of Fine and Frugal ever again. He’s been to so many businesses like it the last week alone and he never thought something so insignificant could make him regret sticking to the line of work he’s in but managers punching way above their weight can do exactly that. It doesn’t escape him that the only reason he’s had to drag his ass down there late at night is because one small piece of their operation - (another business washing less than half of what Fine and Frugal is) - fucked up and now he’s gotta check the rest. Normally, he wouldn’t do it in person, would send his people out to make sure nothing else had gone wrong but with this being their biggest turnover, he figured he best make a personal visit.

In helps in some ways that no one actually knows how high up he is but it also has its downsides. This manager - who has insisted multiple times that Rio call him ‘Boomer’ - has an air about him like he’s untouchable or some sort of boss. He’s obnoxious and invasive. Rio’s got people he’s got to answer to but he’s far enough up that an order to put this guy down might not even be questioned by the higher-ups. A guy with that kind of personality with no idea that he’s talking to someone with that kind of power? It’s a cocktail for a pretty frustrating encounter.

Still, Rio figures there’s no problem at Fine and Frugal and lets the manager ramble on about how secure the place is - which almost makes Rio laugh ‘cause he saw the security guard when he walked in and he’s seen chihuahuas that look more threatening - and that they’ve had a steady increase with washing the cash. And he can’t really fault that last part which is exactly why Rio, once he’s sure there’s no cause for concern, just nods and listens before taking the first opening in the conversation to leave.

“You’ll tell them, right?”

Rio’s just about to open the door and he pauses, looking over his shoulder to see the manager shifting on his feet, looking nervous like he had the first time Rio walked into the store with Dags. “Tell ‘em what?”

“That we’re doing good here. That… That there are no issues.”

A moment of silence passes over them before Rio chuckles, nodding his head a little as he turns back to the door with no intention of answering. He steps out with Dags, letting the door shut behind them. They talk a little away from the office so they’re at least out of earshot, just in case.

“It’s a good thing this place washes so much money.”

Rio smirks. “Almost gave you your shot.”

Dags exhales slowly. “Wish you had. Didn’t think he was gonna shut up.”

At that, Rio smiles, shaking his head a little. He’s about to say something to Dags when he notices Boomer has slipped out of the office and is talking to a blonde. She’s a lot shorter than him and it’s made worse by the fact that he’s standing so close, he’s towering over her. There’s a look on her face and a tension in her body that says she’s angry and disgusted all at once and Rio can’t really blame her.

Boomer is so impossibly close to her that it puts a bad taste in Rio’s mouth. Although she’s staring him right in the eye, her body is slightly angled like she’s ready to bolt. From where he’s stood, Rio vaguely hears her call him a “little dick” and a moment later, Boomer is pointing towards the office.

Rio’s not exactly one to get involved when he’s on the job but shit like this... He knows he won’t be able to concentrate if he leaves it. He watches as the two of them head into the office and then turns to Dags. “Why don’t you go get the car?”

It’s framed like a question although it’s anything but. Dags looks from him to the now-closed door and back again. “You good?”

Rio nods. “I’ll be right out.”

He moves over to the door and leans in close enough to hear voices on the other side. It’s not clear enough to make out the full conversation but enough that he captures a few sentences here and there. It seems like Boomer is doing most of the talking, or at least he’s the loudest, his words coming through more often than hers. Rio has to give her credit though 'cause when he can hear her, her voice is strong.

It sounds like she’s asking him what he wants, although Rio can’t be entirely sure but then she says, clear as day, “you’ve never had to drag me back here to insult me before.” Rio leans in closer to the door, can hear Boomer say something about how she never listens and he’s gotta make an example out of her. Which doesn’t sit right at all and so Rio is reaching for the handle and then there’s a commotion. A mild one but one nonetheless.

He opens the door and steps inside to see stuff all over the floor. It seems she’s done it and Boomer’s got his mouth wide open like he’s about to snap at her only now he’s staring dumbfounded at Rio whose eye’s travel down to see the manager’s hand grasping tightly at her wrist.

“I interrupt something?” Rio asks casually, leaning back against the door now it’s closed behind him.

“We were dealing with a private matter,” Boomer states once he seems to come to his senses.

Rio clocks the way her face scrunches up and he pulls his gun out from where it’s situated at the back of his pants as his eyes go to Boomer. He flicks the safety off and holds it casually in front of him, finger close to the trigger but not quite on it. “Oh, is that so?” Boomer’s entire face angles down in the direction of the gun and he nods, visibly swallowing. Rio’s eyes find the blonde’s name tag. “Annie?”

She blinks at him, her eyes almost discreetly landing on the gun before she looks up at him. “He won’t tell me exactly why I’m here.”

“Nah?” Rio asks, jutting his bottom lip out in consideration before he turns, shifting his hand as he does so his gun is pointed in Boomer’s direction. “You gonna fire her? That how you plan to make an example out of her?”

“He knows I can’t lose this job,” Annie interjects. “He knows I have a kid to provide for and I barely make ends meet as it is.”

Rio pushes off the door, taking a couple of steps towards Boomer. “A’ight. So you go after the ones who can’t fight back, yeah? I mean, she does then you just fire her.” He aims his next question at her. “Guessing you don’t always show up for work?”

“Yeah but that doesn’t mean-”

“Nah,” Rio says, cutting her off. “I agree. It don’t give him an excuse but then I’m also guessing you shoot down his advances and don’t exactly hide your distaste?”

“Yeah,” Annie says quietly. “He’s a creep.”

And, ‘cause Boomer hasn’t let go of her yet, his grip instinctively tightens and she yelps. Rio reacts quickly. He presses his gun to Boomer’s stomach and pushes himself between him and Annie, effectively breaking the grip on her wrist. The chances of him pulling the trigger here are pretty slim, even with the store being practically empty but Rio’s pretty sure it’s still enough to scare Boomer and, even if it isn’t, he sure he can force him out back where he’ll happily take his shot.

“Nah, you one of those guys who can’t take no for an answer,” Rio says, aware of the fact that Annie is still at his back and hasn’t seemed to move away. He shuffles his position a little, makes sure she’s completely covered. “Bet you always got what you wanted growing up, huh?”

“This is a private matter,” Boomer tries again. “Like you said, she never shows up to work half the time. I grabbed her to stop her from trashing the place.”

“What’d he wanna talk to you about outside?”

“He was trying to invite me to a church thing again,” Annie says which actually makes Rio smile a little ‘cause shit,  _ really _ ? “Asked if I was gonna be a stuck up bitch about it again.”

And  _ right _ . He presses his gun a little harder against Boomer, making him take a step back. “I’m guessing you had a little more planned than what your church had going on, yeah?”

Boomer raises his chin ever so slightly. “She was very rude to me.”

Rio knows without a doubt that if Annie had said yes to going to that event, that would have been the last time Boomer asked her for a yes. It would have opened the floodgates for the rest of that evening ‘cause guys like him take the first sign of acceptance as a free for all. It would have become less about getting her consent and more about him getting closer to the thing he really wants from her.

At that, Rio leans in a little. “Our terms have just been upgraded.”

“Wh- What?”

“Yeah,” Rio says, nodding slightly. “You remember all those things you ain’t allowed to mess up? The ones that’ll have me shooting first next time?” Boomer nods slightly. “Well, she’s one of those things now. I hear you fucking with her again or anyone else in here and I’ll take that as a sign of you messing with our business.”

“She’s got nothing to do with it though!” Boomer exclaims and it comes out more like a whine than anything.

Rio grins, his voice dropping to that low volume he reserves for the biggest fuck ups in his operation. “You getting distracted and that ain’t her fault. You can’t fire her or anyone else for that.” He lifts his gun to press it against Boomer’s chest to show that he can’t do that because it’ll have more consequences than Annie (or anyone else) making a complaint to HR. “So, you’re just gonna have to learn to control yourself, yeah?”

And maybe it’s the fact he can see the gun more clearly now but Boomer nods. “It won’t happen again.”

“Good,” Rio says, voice brightening again as he clicks the safety on and puts his gun away. “Annie’s gonna take a break now and she’ll be back in when I say so, yeah?”

Rio barely hears the ‘yes’ coming out of Boomer’s mouth as he turns to Annie and ushers her out of the office. She keeps looking at him, even as they head towards the front of the shop, her brow furrowed like she’s trying to figure out what the fuck just happened. Rio grabs a big bar of milk chocolate and two bottles of water on the way out. Annie signalling to the security guard that it’s okay as they swiftly move by the checkouts without paying.

He’s surprised she hasn’t snapped yet. Every little movement she makes tells him that she’s burning to ask questions. Still, they get outside and sit down on the sidewalk by the doors (although far enough away that they don’t keep setting off the automatic sensors). Rio spots Dags in his car, still parked up, and signals at him to show it’s gonna be a little longer.

“Okay, you’re like my freaking saviour,” Annie clarifies. “ _ But _ , I have to know what that was all about?”

“Was looking for an excuse to come down on him,” Rio admits as he hands her one of the waters. “You gave me one.”

“Right,” she says but it’s clear from her voice and the look in her eye that she doesn’t believe that’s the entire reasoning behind it. “So, you got him doing something shady, huh?”

“Yeah, we ain’t friends,” Rio says as he watches her carefully.

“ _ Geez _ , okay, so you’re not gonna tell me,” she says, reaching for the chocolate without asking and opening it up. “I’m gonna take it as a yes though anyway but I won’t ask what exactly.”

“I get the sense that’s out of character for you,” Rio comments as he takes some of the chocolate.

“It’s like you know me already.” She grins at him which makes him roll his eyes but then she huffs out a breath. “But seriously. You did me a solid in there by threatening him. If the price of that is never knowing what shady stuff you got happening here, that’s fine.”

“You continue to stay out of it and that protection won’t run out.”

“So long as you’ve got business here.”

Rio looks at her ‘cause yeah, she’s right. He gets the feeling she’s one of those types that never knows when to shut up, the sort that might rile you up. It’s not hard to figure that Boomer probably used that part of her personality to get away with the smaller shit he did to her. Christ, Rio’s sure she’d annoy the hell out of him and then some but watching her shove melting chocolate into her mouth as a worry line forms between her brows, he feels kind of bad that there might come a day where she’s back to being unprotected from Boomer.

And it’s not like she doesn’t have balls, he’s already been able to deduce that she has, at least to some extent but what was it she said? She’s got a kid and barely makes ends meet. It’s not like she can just strike back without consequences.

“Yeah, well, hopefully, you won’t need this job by then.”

Annie turns to him. Has that look in her eyes that suggests leaving this place is a desire but that she also thinks that’s an unattainable thing. He can’t blame her, remembers when he could barely scrape by, remembers when his Ma struggled twice as bad as he did. Still, stepping in just now might have been the right thing but Rio knows that continuing to have a bleeding heart with her will only distract him.

“So, do I get to know the name of my saviour?”

And he figures it can’t hurt. It’s not like he’s gonna drop by here any time soon. Even if Boomer does fuck with her again, he’ll probably send one of his boys. He swipes the last of the chocolate before she can. “Rio.”

“Suits you,” she muses.

Rio takes the lull in conversation to grab his water and stand up. He turns a thought over in his head a little before looking down to find her already watching him. “I meant what I said, yeah? He ain’t allowed to fuck with you no more, but now you on my watch list too.”

She gulps a little. “And what does that mean?”

“I hear you talking about me being in there with a gun or fishing for any information…” He reaches back to where his gun is but doesn’t remove it. Instead, he watches her eyes follow the movement and then widen slightly. “Got it?”

“You were never here,” Annie says quietly but with conviction. “I’ve never met you before in my life and-” she points back at the building, “-this is just the shit hole I work at. Nothing else.”

Feeling satisfied that she’s being genuine, he nods, and without any form of goodbye, Rio walks towards Dags’ car. There’s an inkling in his chest that this might not be the last he sees of Annie but the surprising part is that he’s not entirely sure that if they do see each other again, it’ll be for bad reasons.


End file.
